The present invention is directed to a device for carrying an article, particularly an article having touch sensitive areas on its surface. In a preferred embodiment the invention concerns a device for carrying an artist""s canvas or board having areas of wet paint on its surface.
The carrying of an article having touch sensitive areas on its surface, such as for example an artist""s canvas or palette carrying wet paint areas, can be a problem. This is especially the case where the location of the touch sensitive area(s) is variable.
Many artists prefer to paint at a location remote from their home or studio, such as out of doors or at an art school. It is necessary for partially completed paintings and palette boards and fresh canvases to be transported to and from the remote location.
Devices for carrying artist""s canvases are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,869 (Hasenfus) describes a carrying case for art canvases of various sizes which includes a horizontally and vertically adjustable supports for engaging the edges and the faces of the canvas.
However, it is often necessary to transport an incomplete picture, or at least with a canvas carrying areas of paint which are still wet. This is especially the case where slow-drying paints, such as oils are used. The device described by Hasenfus would be likely to cause damage to wet paint areas on the canvas and is unsuitable for use with non-rectangular articles such as palette boards. There is therefore a need for a device is which such canvas can be carried, without risk of damage to the wet paint areas.
According to the invention there is provided a device for carrying an article having at least one touch sensitive area on its surface, the device comprising a base, side walls, and a cross-member extending across the device in a position spaced from the base, a plurality of contact pins being carried by the cross-member extending towards the base and means being provided for adjusting the location of the contact pins on the cross-member, thereby to enable the contact pins to make contact with an article carried in the device at positions spaced from the touch sensitive area.
In use, the plurality of selectively positionable contact pins carried by the cross-member extend towards the base to contact the article at positions spaced from the touch sensitive area. In this way, the touch sensitive area is not damaged by contact, yet the article is securely held within the carrying device.
The touch sensitive area on the article being carried may be constituted by wet paint carried on a surface of the article. In particular the article may be an artist""s canvas or an artist""s paint palette, although in principle it is possible to use the carrying device for carrying any article having touch sensitive areas, for example models and sculptures, provided that the article includes at least one area capable of sustaining the retaining pressure of the contact pins without damage.
The cross-member may be removable, to enable access to the article in the carrying device. Alternatively, access to the article may be possible through one or more of the side walls of the carrying device.
Although a circular cross-section is possible, the carrying device preferably has a polygonal cross-section, in particular a rectangular cross-section, the cross-member being of such dimensions to enable the ends thereof to be located in corners formed by adjacent side walls. For example, the ends of the cross-member may be shaped to fit into diametrically opposite corners of the carrying device.
The cross-member may have a plurality of holes spaced at different locations, the contact pins being located in selected ones of the holes. Alternatively, the cross-member may be formed with one or more slots, the upper ends of the contact pins extending through the slots, being slidable along the slots and being lockable at desired locations.
The cross-member may have an elongate shape, although any shape is possible, even a shape which occupies substantially the whole cross-section of the carrying device, i.e. the cross-member may constitute a lid for the carrying device. However, it is preferred to provide a separate lid which, when in a closed position, presses against the cross-member. The lid may be hinged to one of the side walls of the carrying device. One advantage of providing a cross-member which is separate from a hinged lid is that, in the case of a removable cross-member, the contact pins are brought into contact with, and lifted away from, the canvas in a direction substantially perpendicular to the canvas surface. This is less liable to cause damage than in the case of contact pins carried on a hinged lid, which would be brought into contact with, and moved away from, the canvas along a somewhat tangential path.
As an alternative to dimensioning the cross-member such that it is retained in diametrically opposite corners of the carrying device, means may be provided to secure the cross-member to side walls of the carrying device, for example in other positions. For example, brackets may be provided at each end of the cross-member enabling the cross-member to be secured at a given location, or at one of a number of alternative locations, to the side walls of the carrying device.
The contact pins are preferably of variable effective length, enabling articles of different thicknesses to be carried in the carrying device. For example, the pins may carry a threaded portion which engages a threaded hole in the cross-member, whereby screwing the pin further through the hole enables the effective length of the pin to be varied. Alternatively, the pins may be telescopic and/or spring loaded. In one particular embodiment, instead of providing contact pins of variable effective length, a set of pins of different lengths are provided, the most appropriately sized pins being selected for use according to the thickness of the article, while the other pins remain unused, optionally being retained in a storage space within the carrying device.
Optionally, a spacer member may be provided for inserting between the cross-member and the lid when especially thin articles are being carried. Such a spacer member should preferably be releasably secured to either the cross-member or the lid, for example by the use of a releasable adhesive material such as Blu-Tack (Trade Mark).